Computer Monitors: What Makes Ergonomic Sense?

Flat screens are good. Flat screens are light, easy to move and reduce glare. Getting rid of that bulky CRT monitor creates valuable space on your desk.

See where your eye meets the center of your computer. If you put your hand in a saluting position at eye level and move it outward toward your computer, it should pretty much hit the top of your computer monitor. With your monitor at this height, your eyes will naturally fall to about the center of your screen (about 15-30 degrees down).

If the monitor is too high, your neck will be curved as it would if you were looking up. If your monitor is too low, which is the most common, your neck will be bent down in a reversed curve, like you were reading.

Hours - and eventually months and years - spent with the neck looking up, or down, is essentially repetitive stress. Poor neck posture places stress on spinal discs, neck and upper shoulder muscles, and contributes to disturbed mechanics in the arm and wrists.

Hey, give your neck a break! Right now you can grab a few books you won't read for awhile, thick ones preferably, and hike up that monitor. Fortunately, monitor stands and adjustable monitor arms are now widely available. One major computer company now packages easy to use adjustable stands with their monitors. These monitor stands make great ergonomic sense by providing an individualized solution to the problem of monitor height.

Not too far away and not too close. Your monitor should be about 20-inches or an arm's length away from you. When you push your monitor away from you until it feels at a comfortable distance, your computer will probably be an arm's length away.

If the monitor is too close, we move our body away from it and place strain, especially on the neck and low back. Our hands draw back just enough to create stress in the fingers. Our eyes strain to accommodate to the brightness and read the print.

If the monitor is too far away, we hunch forward and round the back. The neck strains to bring the head closer to the screen, and we have to bend our wrists, increasing stress and the potential for injury. Our eyes strain to find brightness and to read smaller print.

On many of our work surfaces there isn't enough room to place the computer in the correct position. Somehow various kinds of stuff manage to get on our desk and clutter it. Or sometimes the work area just isn't big enough. We need enough room to place our computer monitors a healthy distance away from us.

Right in front of you. The monitor should be placed directly in front you and your keyboard and mouse. No exceptions to this one.

Buy the right size for the job. If you are a graphic designer or an architect, or if you have to interact consistently with spreadsheets or information on the screen, like an accountant or a stockbroker, a larger screen makes sense. For most of us, a smaller screen (standard 17") works fine. They are less expensive and easier to move around.

Look away. After you've stared at your computer for let's say 15 minutes or so, try to look away briefly at some distant object or another part of the room. Taking frequent breaks from looking at the screen, and perhaps using software that reminds you when you need a little break, is important not just for your eyes, but for your neck, back and arms…and your mind.

Computer Monitor Ergonomics Checklist
( ) Monitor is directly in front of you and an arm's length away.
( ) Top of monitor is about level with your eyes.
( ) You look down about 15-30 inches to the center of the screen.
( ) The monitor is a flat screen, light and easy to move.
( ) Monitor size fits the type of computer work you do.
( ) There is enough room on your workspace for correct monitor position.